Spinach Lemon Butter Chicken (Printable Version)

Golden pan-seared chicken cutlets finished in a silky lemon-butter sauce served over wilted spinach.

# What You Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 5.3 oz each), pounded to 1/2-inch thickness
02 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
03 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
04 - 1/2 cup (2.1 oz) all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour blend for dredging

→ Spinach

05 - 14 oz fresh baby spinach
06 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
07 - 1 clove garlic, minced
08 - Pinch of salt

→ Lemon Butter Sauce

09 - 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
10 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
11 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
12 - Juice and zest of 1 large lemon
13 - 2/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth
14 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, optional
15 - 1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and drained, optional
16 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
17 - 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley for garnish
18 - Lemon slices for serving, optional

# Steps:

01 - Pat chicken cutlets dry with paper towels. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Lightly dredge each piece in flour, shaking off excess.
02 - Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken in a single layer, working in batches if necessary. Cook 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden and cooked through. Transfer to a plate and tent loosely with foil.
03 - Lower heat to medium. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to the pan. Add minced garlic and sauté 30 seconds until fragrant. Pour in chicken broth, lemon juice, and zest, scraping up browned bits from the pan. Stir in Dijon mustard and capers if using. Simmer 2 to 3 minutes until slightly reduced.
04 - Return chicken to the skillet, turning to coat in the sauce. Simmer gently 2 minutes until heated through.
05 - Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a separate large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add spinach and a pinch of salt; sauté 1 to 2 minutes just until wilted. Remove from heat.
06 - Arrange wilted spinach on serving plates. Top with chicken cutlets and spoon lemon butter sauce over. Garnish with fresh parsley and lemon slices.

# Expert Pointers:

01 -
  • It tastes elegant but comes together in one pan with ingredients you probably already have.
  • The lemon butter sauce is so good you'll want to spoon it over everything on your plate.
  • It's light enough that you don't feel weighed down, but satisfying enough that no one asks what's for dessert.
  • Leftovers reheat beautifully and somehow taste even better the next day.
02 -
  • If your chicken breasts are thick, pound them evenly or they'll cook unevenly and you'll end up with dry edges and a raw center.
  • Don't skip deglazing the pan with broth; those stuck bits are where all the caramelized flavor hides.
  • Spinach releases water as it wilts, so don't add extra liquid or you'll end up with a puddle on the plate.
03 -
  • Use a meat mallet or a heavy skillet to pound the chicken between two sheets of plastic wrap so it doesn't tear.
  • Taste the sauce before adding the chicken back; you want it bright and balanced, not too tart or too salty.
  • If the sauce looks thin, let it simmer an extra minute or swirl in a small pat of cold butter off the heat to thicken it instantly.
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